Israeli Vet Builds Site for Travelers With Disabilities

The Fellowship | November 22, 2019

Close up image of the wheels of a wheelchair with its shadow cast behind it.

After an Israeli war vet learned how difficult it is to travel with his disability, he set out to make the process easier for those seeking accessible accommodations in Tel Aviv, New York, London, and more.

Lioz Amar had booked a hotel online for a trip to Barcelona. He specified that he needed a walk-in shower but when he got to the room, he discovered it only had a bathtub.

That might have been a disappointment but not a deal breaker for most people. But Amar is not most people. In 2011, he was wounded during his service in the Israel Defense Forces and, since the age of 21, requires a wheelchair to get around.

“I went to the front desk and I said I need a roll-in shower,” Amar tells ISRAEL21c. “The guy brings out a ‘certificate of accessibility’ and says that this is an acceptable room. I said to him, put that paper aside for a second and think of me.”